


(she's so) charming

by boyslightup



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: (oh my god they were roommates), (vampire cass is too sexy to not take the chance), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood Drinking, Eugene and Lance are their neighbors, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Pascal is just chilling tbh, Roommates, Secrets, Vampire Cass, and cliches because let sapphics have cliches 2020, expect cheesiness, in which Cass hides her feelings AND status of being a blood sucking immortal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:34:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26494939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boyslightup/pseuds/boyslightup
Summary: Rapunzel has moved from her small hometown to the big city to pursue her passion for art. She moves into a cosy apartment with her new roommate, Cassandra. Little does she know that Cassandra is secretly a vampire, one who is desperate to hide her secret from her. How long can the truth remain a secret when Rapunzel starts to fall in love?
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 115





	1. opening the door

**Author's Note:**

> i thought the idea of cass being a vampire was very sexy and it turned into a fully-fledged au so here we are!

For Rapunzel, there was one thing more nerve-wracking yet exciting than finally moving out of home and into the big wide world. It was meeting her roommate.

There was no way she could afford living in the city alone, not even in a tiny apartment, so she was forced to live with someone else (excluding Pascal, of course). That didn’t matter to her, and she was excited to meet new people, but this would be the person who would be in her hair every day.

What would they be like? How would they feel about her? What if they weren’t going to like her? These questions had been floating around Rapunzel’s mind since she secured her stay at the new apartment. The whole process happened in such a blur, her enthusiasm pushing specifics out of the way, that she forgot to bother contacting her future roommate more than through the official document that said, “Hey, guess what? We live together now!”

“Hello? Earth to Rapunzel?” The voice of her new landlord, Teresa, snapped her back into her body. Already, the snooty pitch of her voice disconcerted her.

Rapunzel jolted, narrowly avoiding knocking over her plum, oversized and overfilled suitcase. Pascal on her shoulder squeaked and stopped himself from falling off by quickly grabbing Rapunzel’s sleeve. “Sorry,” She said, “Just lost in thou-”

“And I don’t care,” Teresa said. Her crisp snap of words made Rapunzel’s heart sink. Already she had made an enemy, and of all people, it was in her landlord. Her only previous contact with her was through the listing agent and a few emails which hid any potential rudeness she had. “You’re the one who is moving in, and I have to go meet with another tenant in,” She checked her wristwatch, “Five minutes ago.”

A lump formed in Rapunzel’s throat and she apologised, hiding behind a sheepish smile. She watched Teresa dig her hand inside her purse and pulled out a set of keys, the final confirmation that this was really happening, that the door to the next phase of Rapunzel’s life was about to open. The feeling of fluttering nerves and giddiness pushed Teresa’s sourness out of her mind.

Teresa shoved the keys in Rapunzel’s hands, and she narrowly avoided dropping them. They jangled in her grip, heavy and cool. There was no going back now.

“There is also a spare key,” Teresa said, “But if you get locked out call the security guard or maintenance. And if neither of those or your roommate isn’t available, then it isn’t my problem and you will just have to sort it out yourself somehow.”

Rapunzel didn’t have time to ask questions before Teresa turned away, her heels clicking down the hall and into the elevator. Before it shut its metal doors she called out, “And if I catch that frog causing any trouble then I’ll-” She was cut short, but Rapunzel didn’t want to hear the rest anyway.

“Not even a goodbye?” Rapunzel whispered to herself, looking down at her keys. She sighed and held them tighter. That wasn’t important now.

To her left stood a chipped wooden door with a rusty ‘14’ nailed on it. Behind that was the small world she would soon call her own. In her mind, she pictured the photos from the listing and imagined where she’d place all her belongings in the room designated as her own. She had been thinking about that for weeks.

Taking a deep breath Rapunzel walked to the door. She counted to ten before exhaling and raised her fist to it. On her shoulder, Pascal squeaked and then ran down her arm, balancing on the back of her hand. He outstretched a claw and looked at her. He knew she was nervous.

“No, Pascal,” Rapunzel said, putting him back on her shoulder. “They probably won’t hear you, buddy,” She straightened her back and raised her fist to the door again, “Besides, this is something I should do.”

The first knock on the door was weak, nerves still holding her back, but then she knocked louder. What felt like a million years passed and still no reply. Teresa had insisted her roommate would be home, but now Rapunzel questioned if she had bothered to check or not. Before coming to a final conclusion she knocked again.

When the door swung open, Rapunzel’s heart stopped for a moment. After questioning her roommate’s occupancy, she didn’t expect a reply so quickly. Catching her breath she looked up at the curious expression on the person in front of her.

“I’m assuming you’re Rapunzel?” The roommate didn’t offer so much as a hello, but her voice was politer and smaller than Teresa’s. Her face wasn’t warped in disgust like hers, either.

Rapunzel nodded, tucking unkempt strands of brown hair behind her ear. “Yep, you got that right!” As soon as she finished speaking, she cringed. She felt like she sounded too enthusiastic and forward, something she’d tried unlearning before she left her home town. The people there liked it about her, but in the big city, the chances were not everyone would.

Her roommate looked her up and down, sometimes to Pascal as well. She crossed her arms and leaned across the door frame. Her icy stare sent a shiver up Rapunzel’s spine. She didn’t look unfriendly, and so far she was nicer than Teresa, but Rapunzel put on a please-be-impressed-by-me smile.

Too many moments of silence passed, each making Rapunzel more uncomfortable. She felt trapped in the woman’s stare, hopefulness turning to nervousness. In her mind, she scrambled for what to say, then she realised she still hadn’t asked for her roommate’s name.

“So,” Rapunzel said, chewing her words. “I still don’t know your name.”

Her roommate shook her head, refocusing her stare into a simple look. “Wait, you didn’t bother checking? Wasn’t it on the listing confirmation? Shouldn’t Teresa have told you anyway?”

Too many questions. “Nope, I thought I’d wait so it could be a surprise!” Rapunzel lied.

“Okay,” Her roommate said. She sighed, and Rapunzel took a proper look at her. In her eyes, which seemed wiser and older than they looked at a first glance, she seemed anxious too. They were captivating and seemed to grow increasingly more beautiful the longer Rapunzel stared.

Now Rapunzel was the one staring, and she snapped out of it when she realised how uncomfortable it must have felt for her too. She wanted to mumble a sorry, but even though she had averted her eyes, there was something about her she didn’t want to look away from. Something she almost couldn’t look away from, but she didn’t know what it was. The words almost went over her head.

“I’m Cassandra.”

Cassandra. She spelt it out in her mind, each letter and syllable somehow fitting her. It was a beautiful name, one of her favourites.

Rapunzel smiled, drawing herself back and fixing her posture. Instead of going for her usual bear hug, she outstretched her hand. "Nice to meet you, Cassandra."


	2. a clean slate

The hallway alone was a fresh wonderland. It was the opposite of Rapunzel’s lavish old home, and she already preferred the clean slate of the apartment. It didn't feel lived in, everything in the same spot as it was in the photos. She sniffed hard, the faint scent of sandalwood looming around her, but she didn't know where it was coming from. Its calming effects were already working.

“Can I have a tour?” Rapunzel asked, even though she knew where everything was and what it looked like.

“I’ll take you to your room first. You'll wanna put your stuff down anyway.” Cassandra said. In the middle of the hall were two doors opposite each other. The door on the left was shut, but the one on the right was ajar, light flooding into the hallway.

The ground beneath the carpet creaked when Rapunzel rolled her luggage forward. Her overexcitement nearly toppled her over when she stumbled through the doorway. Cassandra stepped out of the way, keeping her toes away from the wheels of Rapunzel’s suitcase.

Inside, it was like the pictures she’d looked at so many times showed. The room was filled with daylight from the large window on the far wall. There was a balcony with a table and chair set already installed, and she had already imagined sitting outside and watching the sun set.

Next to the door was her bed with a bare mattress which from a glance already didn’t seem comfortable. It was the same as she’d expect for a place so cheap, but then again she felt lucky she was given one for free at all. It could always be worse. After setting her suitcase at it’s foot, she flopped down on it.

“Comfy?” Cassandra asked, leaning in the doorway. Rapunzel nodded, a half-truth. “Good.”

Wary of her lying down tricking her mind into tiredness, Rapunzel sat up again. She looked around, satisfied with the room.  _ Her  _ room.

“Shall we continue? I figured we’d keep it brief so you have more time to settle in.”

“Yes!” Rapunzel smiled, Pascal jumping in agreement.

Following her back into the hallway again reignited Rapunzel's sense of wonder. The living and kitchen areas were combined, and it filled the small space well but kept it feeling open. The coffee table in front of the sofa was decorated with white candles and an incense burner. It was the source of the sandalwood smell. She sighed into the comforting scent.

There was another large window there with another balcony. Rapunzel would have liked the view to be better than the sea of buildings it looked out upon. Her bedroom view was nicer. At least it was nicer than staring at a brick wall.

Like the hallway, everything was tidy and in what she considered the perfect position. Cassandra was one hell of a cleaner.

Cassandra didn’t give Rapunzel a chance to have an in depth look at the bathroom, slamming the door closed fast. She didn’t even turn the light on. It was fine, though. She had memorised what it looked like a while ago. The only comment was that she could put her toiletries wherever there was an empty space.

“Well, that’s the tour over I guess,” Cassandra said when she closed the door. “I hope it didn’t disappoint.”

“You’re a good tour guide,” Rapunzel smiled, Pascal nodding.

Cassandra thanked her, tone and body rigid. Her awkwardness rubbed off on Rapunzel who regretted her enthusiasm and what she realised was odd phrasing. Already she was feeling a wall build between her and Cassandra. She refused to give it more thought, reminding herself she barely knew her and to give her a chance. After all, she was here to live with her indefinitely.

Rapunzel figured she should get the rest of her belongings, big and small, from her car. It was a relief she didn’t need to construct anything. She had already mentally mapped out where she’d place everything in her room; where she’d hang her art and place other mementos and decorations. Cassandra offered to help, but Rapunzel didn’t want to bother her, so even when Cassandra insisted, she declined.

On her trip down the elevator, Rapunzel sighed long and hard. Pascal crawled into her hand, and she cradled him. It was nice to have a moment alone with him to discuss their new living space. It felt inappropriate to announce to Cassandra so soon that she could talk to a chameleon.

After a few trips up and down, learning the hard way on her first time up to not carry so much at once, Rapunzel finally stood in her room alone with her best friend. Everything was deconstructed in a mess of boxes covering the ground and her easel leaned against the wall. With her hands on her hips, she grinned.

"This is it, Pascal. Home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand we're back everybody! happy halloween month! the perfect time for an update.
> 
> this chapter was brief, i know, but we're persevering! onto the next one we go! (which will be out soon)


	3. arnwaldos

Rapunzel slept well that night. Wrapped in her favourite sheets that smelled like home, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. She awoke with cracks of sunlight escaping through the edges of her curtains. A new day.

Yawning, she pulled herself to her feet. Pascal was already awake, and he crept onto her shoulder, nuzzling her neck. Him being with her comforted her. Waking up with him made it easier for her to adjust.

After navigating her way through the sea of storage boxes on her floor, Rapunzel opened the curtains and looked out upon the city. She looked at the handle of the sliding door and tried to contain her excitement as she opened it. She leaned on the dusty railing. The morning air smelled of pollution and faint cigarette smoke. The honking of car horns below and the clatter of trains rolling along their tracks grated on her ears, but she knew she could get used to it. At least the amber glow reflecting off the buildings was nice.

An idea sparked in her head. Although most of her belongings were still in boxes, she wanted to paint her first morning view. Back inside, and with the help of Pascal, she dug out her collection of brushes and paint. She stumbled back outside with an armful, dropping them down onto the outdoor table. She went back inside to drag her easel out while Pascal carried a small canvas behind her.

Rapunzel squeezed splotches of paint onto her stained pallette. She dipped a brush into it and brought it to the canvas. Without much thought, she painted away, not caring about tidiness as she rushed to catch the rest of the morning glow.

Once finished, her only gauge of time being how high the sun was in the sky, she stepped back to view the final product. She put her hands on her hips, the sticky paint between her fingers leaving marks on her pyjamas. Cursing under her breath, she pulled her hands away and inspected them.

“I suppose we’d better let it dry,” Rapunzel said to Pascal. He nodded then pointed his tail towards her bedroom.

Inside, Rapunzel made her way into the hallway with Pascal following her. She jogged her memory of the location of the bathroom, and she walked there. There was no scrubbing brush or sponge on the basin to help get the paint off her hands, so she lathered her hands in soap and rubbed them together hard, watching the coloured bubbles wash down the drain.

Rapunzel looked up when she was finished, inspecting herself in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up all over the place, and the remainders of yesterday’s mascara that she couldn’t quite get off were smudged under her eyes. She considered a shower but decided against it until after breakfast.

Rapunzel’s stomach rumbled, and she realised how starving she was. She hadn’t eaten a proper dinner last night. She turned around and headed out to the kitchen that was only a few paces away. Humming, she opened the pantry to find the only things in it were a jumble of condiments and spreads amongst assorted stale foods. She tried the other cupboards, only finding glassware and other assorted kitchenware.

“I didn’t know people were supposed to bring groceries with them when they move in with someone else,” Rapunzel said to Pascal who stood on a shelf, looking around. He shrugged.

“Who are you talking to?” The voice of Cassandra said. She made Rapunzel jump, knocking the breath out of her.

“Cassandra!” Rapunzel held her hand to her chest, slowing down her breathing.

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” Cassandra said, coming closer to Rapunzel with caution. She eyed the empty spaces up and down, a frown on her face. “I’m sorry that I don’t have anything you can eat. I’ve been getting takeout the past few nights.”

Rapunzel wanted to ask what about the other meals of the day, but she bit her tongue. That was none of her business. She gulped and ran a hand down the goosebumps on her bare arm.

“It’s okay,” she said, Pascal nodding along. “Where’s the nearest store? I guess I’d better go buy something to eat. I can make you breakfast too if you li-”

Cassandra shrugged, shaking her head. “It’s fine,” she said, voice pitiful, “I’d get changed out of those paint-covered pyjamas first.”

Before Rapunzel had the chance to reply or blush, Cassandra was gone. She chewed her lip, looking at Pascal’s uneasy expression. Her heart sank, not having a clue why Cassandra walked off like that. Humming and forcing a smile onto her face, she shook her head.

“Maybe she just doesn’t like breakfast?” Rapunzel asked Pascal abashedly. He chirped at her, and she shook her head again, sighing. She felt calmer now. “She’s right, though. We’d better go get dressed before we go out. Now, where is the closest store…”

* * *

A quick, hot shower later, Rapunzel was making her way out the front door. She double-checked she had everything, her wallet and keys stored in the tote bag slung over her shoulder. Pascal sat perched on her shoulder after having asked if he could join her on her adventure. How could she say no?

The elevator took longer than expected to rise to her floor. While she waited, two neighbours marched out of the door next to hers, chatting between themselves. Excitement bubbled in Rapunzel. There were no friendly neighbours in her street back home, but now that she lived in a building with many other people, she’d hoped some of them here would be nice.

Taking a deep breath and quickly looking at Pascal, she turned to face them. She barely reached shoulder height on both of them, and she had to crane her neck up to smile at them. They looked friendly enough. “Good morning!”

Silence.

“Uh, good morning!” Rapunzel said, wondering if they were ignoring her or if they simply didn’t hear her amidst their own conversation. She looked at Pascal and shrugged.

Both men stopped talking and looked at her, sizing her and Pascal up. The repulsive combination of their expensive colognes nauseated her.

“Is that a frog?” The shorter man asked. He squinted his eyes and lowered his neck to have a better look.

Rapunzel shook her head. “Nope, he’s a chameleon,” she scratched Pascal’s head and he chirped. “His name’s Pascal.”

“Are those the ones that change colours?” The taller one asked. He crossed his arms and scratched his goatee, one of his golden rings shining in the light. When Rapunzel responded with a yes, his eyes lit up. “Can he show me?”

The elevator dinged before Pascal got a chance to show his talent off. People stepped out of the elevator, side by side and down the hall. Rapunzel shuffled inside with her two neighbours, and she pressed the ground floor button. The metal doors shut and her stomach dropped as they made a slow descent.

By the time they passed two floors, it seemed as though they had forgotten about Pascal all together. They rocked on their feet, arms crossed. One looked directly at Rapunzel, the other looking between the descending number on the screen and her.

“I’ve never seen you around before,” the shorter one said, “are you a visitor or did you just move in?”

Rapunzel nodded, clutching the handle of her tote bag. “I moved in with someone,” she smiled, “I’m new to the city too.”

The voice of Rapunzel’s parents rang in her ears telling her not to talk to strangers alone, especially men, or give them any personal information. She always questioned that, and now more than ever. How was she going to make new friends if she didn’t introduce herself? These two seemed friendly enough anyway.

“What number are you in?” The taller man asked.

“Fourteen.”

The men muttered between themselves, “Fourteen...”

The shorter man’s eyes widened, “That’s where Cassandra lives,” he said to the other one. He turned to face Rapunzel, “You live with Cassandra?” His pronunciation was wrong, but Rapunzel declined to correct him.

Rapunzel nodded, “Moved in with her yesterday.” The way they both looked at her made her uneasy but in an awkward I-have-no-idea-what’s-going-on sort of way.

Both of them muttered more and then shook it off. They smiled and the taller one spoke and pointed to himself, “Well, I’m Lance,” he then pointed to the other one, “and this is Fl-  _ Eugene Fitzherbert _ .”

Eugene frowned and elbowed Lance in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him. Rapunzel and Pascal couldn’t help but giggle.

“Just Eugene,” he smiled, side-eyeing Lance. “No one calls me by my full name, do they?” He sneered at Lance who blushed but still had a cheeky smirk beneath his moustache.

Rapunzel looked between them. She outstretched her hand, not quite sure what to do with it since she was with two people, so she outstretched the other as well. They both looked at her as though she was an alien, but she still kept them in the air.

With a great big smile, Rapunzel introduced herself.

* * *

The elevator chimed once it reached the ground floor of the building. The doors opened and Rapunzel walked out side by side with Lance and Eugene and two other strangers who got on a few floors after they did. She fished her phone out of her back pocket and unlocked it, eyes flicking up to catch the time and then opening her maps app.

“What are you looking for?” Lance asked, leaning over her.

Without looking up, Rapunzel responded, talking as she typed into the search bar. “I need to go grocery shopping,” she pressed search, “and also to get something for breakfast.”

“We can show you around if you’d like,” Eugene said, “We were going out to get coffee. You can come with us if you want. Don’t want to let you get lost, do we?”

From Rapunzel’s shoulder, Pascal chirped apprehensively. They could easily make their own way around, but the offer was too kind. She was going to trust them whether Pascal liked the idea of it or not. She agreed and followed them out the double front doors.

Rapunzel stayed observant of her surroundings, taking note of all the buildings and street signs. Eugene commented on her lack of shoes, asking her if she really thought it was a good idea to go barefoot in the city. When she said she never wore any back home, he sighed. He added that they could stop at a shoe store if Rapunzel wanted so that she could buy a pair of shoes.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Rapunzel said, walking alongside him and Lance. The streets were dirty anyway, and she kept narrowly avoiding people stepping on her toes.

They passed all different stores and restaurants, Rapunzel gazing into each window longingly. "Where are we going?"

“We usually get coffee from Arnwaldos,” Eugene said. “Well, always.”

Rapunzel cocked her head, “Arnwaldos?”

“The home of the best coffee and baked goods you’ll ever taste,” Lance grinned, “should I mention that  _ I  _ own and run it?” When Rapunzel’s eyes widened in wonder, his smile grew.

“If it’s so great, how come I’ve never heard of it?” Rapunzel asked, making Lance and Eugene frown.

“Because chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ get all the attention by making thousands of restaurants while the rest of us are trying to stay afloat," Eugene said. “Not that Arnwaldos needs any help when everyone in the inner city knows how good it is.”

Rapunzel nodded along. They took more turns down the streets, and the soles of her feet started aching. Eugene was right about her needing a pair of shoes.

The trio turned left, stopping at the front doors of a cafe on the corner. In big bold letters on top of the door, it said ‘Arnwaldos’. Inside it looked busy, people standing in queues and sitting at tables while a team worked behind the front counter.

When Lance opened the door for her, the scent of fresh coffee grounds and baked sourdough hit Rapunzel. She walked into the warmth, embracing the chatter around her. Arnwaldos was nothing like any cafe she’d been to before. It was full of glamorous charm that made it feel like it was one of a kind.

One of the baristas looked up at the door and smiled when she saw Lance. The others around her looked up to see him too and had the same reaction.

Lance walked through a door and ended up behind the counter, greeting his staff. Rapunzel had never seen workers so happy to see their boss before. She looked at Pascal who seemed to have warmed up to Lance and Eugene, or maybe he was in heaven from all the deliciousness.

After Rapunzel accepted an offer of a drink on the house, she scooted into an available booth. Lance was waiting and chatting with his workers, while Eugene sat across from her with his head hung low.

“So,” Eugene raised his brow, “what brings you to the city?”

“Art,” Rapunzel said, looking up to see Lance walk over with a tray of drinks and a paper bag, “I want to show the world my art.”

Eugene, scooting to the side to let Lance sit down beside him, stifled a laugh. “You know how hard it is to make money by being an artist, right? And how hard it is to make it big in the first place?” He coughed when Rapunzel stared at him, the strong look in her eyes hiding how hurt his words made her feel.

“Don’t listen to him,” Lance said, passing Rapunzel her drink and the paper bag, “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s made a career off of looking pretty, which for him would be ten times harder than anyone wanting to become an artist.”

Rapunzel took a sip of her drink and sighed. It was incredible. She asked what it was, and made a mental note to get it if she ever came here again.

She put her hand inside the paper bag and pulled out a berry-filled muffin. She took a bite, sighing into its warmth and sweetness. Without asking, Pascal crept down her arm and pulled off a chunk for himself. He sat down on the table and took a large bite, licking his lips and smiling afterwards.

“I’m glad you like it,” Lance said, “it’s my own special recipe I’ve spent years working on.”

“It’s really good,” Rapunzel said with her mouth full, crumbs at the corners of her mouth. Much to the dismay of Pascal, she wiped them off with the back of her hand.

Finishing the last sip of her drink and licking the last crumbs of her muffin off her fingertips, Rapunzel leaned her elbows on the table. A satisfying late-ish breakfast indeed. “Are we still going shopping?” She asked.

Lance and Eugene nodded, whisking her out the door and into the land of retail.

* * *

On her way back up the elevator, all the way to her apartment, Rapunzel’s arms were full of paper bags filled to the brim with groceries. She had stuffed her brand new shoebox into her tote bag, and with every move she made it scratched her underarm. Even though Lance and Eugene had offered to help her carry her things, she declined.

After waving her new friends goodbye, Rapunzel wandered to her front door. She placed most of the bags down to free her hand to knock. She waited a moment for Cassandra to open the door before knocking again after a period of silence. Was Cassandra taking forever to open the door going to become a recurring theme? Was she even home at all?

Impatient, Rapunzel dug out her keys that were wedged under the shoebox in her bag, and she turned them in the door handle. As she pushed the door open, the door handle twisted from the other side and it swung open. Having no time to catch her footing, Rapunzel toppled onto Cassandra, Pascal flying through the air.

Cassandra caught Rapunzel before she could knock both of them over. “I said I was coming,” she said, shrugging Rapunzel off. “You could’ve waited.”

Rapunzel regained her balance and looked out for Pascal. He was already making his way back down the hallway to her. Thank God he was okay.

“I didn’t hear you, sorry,” Rapunzel frowned, “I didn’t even know you were home.” She caught her breath, Cassandra’s tight grasp having knocked most of it out of her, yet it was her who was apologising.

Her box of new shoes was now at her feet, the lid half off. At least they weren’t something fragile; the thought of that made her shudder. She’d spent more money than she would have liked on them.

"Look at all this," Cassandra leaned down and picked up the shoebox, putting its lid back on and handing it to Rapunzel. “No wonder you took so long to come back. I thought you might’ve gotten lost out there.”

Struggling, Rapunzel leaned down and grabbed as many grocery bags as she could, the shoebox still in her arms. “Yeah, I made some friends in the elevator.” She gasped and groaned trying to drag everything through the door.

“Here, let me help you,” Cassandra said, lightening Rapunzel’s load. She ignored Rapunzel’s gratefulness and instead asked who the friends she made were.

“Lance and Eugene,” Rapunzel said, halfway down the hallway, "do you know them?"

Cassandra froze and burst into laughter, “Lance?  _ Eugene _ ?” She kept laughing, Rapunzel wondering what was so funny. “You made friends with  _ those  _ losers?” Her reaction felt the same as theirs did when she told them she was living with Cassandra.

“They showed me Lance’s cafe and took me shopping,” Rapunzel said, not stopping for Cassandra. “They were nice.”

“Lance, I get it, but Eugene? Nice?” Cassandra exhaled, pulling herself together, “Eugene Fitzherbjerk does not do nice.”

Dozens of questions entered Rapunzel’s mind, swimming around, but she couldn’t pick which one to ask first, so she made a note to hold onto them for later. “Both of them said I can come over any time I like. They even gave me their numbers for if I want them to show me around town again.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes and picked up the bags again. She carried them to the kitchen and put them on the floor in front of the refrigerator. “Look, Rapunzel, I don’t know what it was like back wherever you came from, but things here are different. You can’t just go trusting everyone you meet."

Rapunzel cocked her head, “Not even you?”

Cassandra crossed her arms. “I’m just trying to prove a point."

Nudging one of the bags out of the way with her foot, Rapunzel opened the pantry. Even after it was all put away, there was still lots of empty space. It was the same story with the refrigerator too.

"That's every meal sorted for the next few days!" Rapunzel said. She pushed the cost out of her mind. It was enough to feed Cassandra too which made it worth it. "Any requests for tonight?"

When Rapunzel turned around, Cassandra had once again disappeared.

Rapunzel sighed and looked at Pascal who stood on the shelf in front of her. "It's only day one, buddy," she said. "We've just got to give her time." Pascal raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled. "What would you like for dinner?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand we're back! and with a chunkier chapter! now that the scene is being set more clearly, it feels good to finally start delving into the plot. and yes, cass stans, we will be seeing more of her! but for now, you know how vampires are...


	4. movie night

“First Saturday night in the big city and you’re staying in?” Cassandra asked Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel hummed and tied up the cord on her fuzzy bathrobe. Having tied it too tight, she groaned and tied it up again looser. She sat down on the sofa beside Cassandra.

"I thought we could hang. Seeing as we live together I thought we could also spend some time together.”

Cassandra shuffled a few inches to the side, not that she needed to make much room for Rapunzel. “Hang?” 

“Yeah,” Rapunzel brought her knees up to her chin, the soles of her feet resting against the edge of the sofa. “Unless you have somewhere to be?” She let out a sigh of relief when Cassandra shook her head.

It had only been a few days, four to be exact, but not knowing a thing about Cassandra was grinding Rapunzel’s gears. Friendships were never difficult for her, but something about Cassandra herself was difficult. 

All Rapunzel wanted was to have a grasp of whatever it was she did when she locked herself away.  When she wasn’t home her gut begged her to open the door to her bedroom, but with the disapprovement of Pascal, she held herself back . 

Still, there was something about her that she needed to know about.  Whether it was the mystery or her  being overexcited , Rapunzel couldn't tell, but she longed to look inside .

Pascal's squeaks that warned Rapunzel against Cassandra rang in her ears. He never stopped calling her weird. Never eccentric,  just plain weird. Even though he hadn't admitted it, she knew he didn't trust her.

“How do you want to ‘hang’?” Cassandra asked.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Rapunzel smiled. “I was thinking  maybe you could decide seeing as this is your,” she corrected herself, “ our apartment.”

Cassandra tilted her head for a moment, in thought, then had her lightbulb moment. “How about…” she smirked, “...we watch a movie?”

“Ooh,” Rapunzel smiled, “a movie! Great idea!” She settled back, pulling her knees in even tighter. With a big smile on her face, she told Cassandra she could choose what to watch. 

Upon  being suggested a horror movie, Rapunzel agreed, neglecting to admit she’d never seen one.  She always thought if she were to watch one she’d  be wrapped up under blankets with Pascal and a bowl of popcorn, but she could settle on this situation . It couldn’t be  that scary, right?

When the lights dimmed, Rapunzel wished she hadn’t thought that.  It was as good as she guessed and the plot was somewhat okay which made it easier to cope with the gratuitous amount of screaming and bloodiness . It chilled her to the bone.

The most unsettling thing was how relaxed Cassandra looked. Her elbow rested on the arm of the sofa, her knuckles supporting the side of her head.  The interested stare in her eyes and strange tug of her lips would’ve been better suited for watching videos of adorable kittens .

Rapunzel didn’t know how or when, but she ended up shoulder to shoulder with Cassandra, leaning on her ever so  slightly .  Her hairs stood on end, chills running down her spine with every televised scream and haunting refrain . The feeling amplified against her, but she couldn't bear to pull herself away.

The screen went dark, Rapunzel anticipating a jump scare and then thinking  maybe the power went out until she saw the remote in Cassandra’s hand . She sat up and put her feet back on the floor. “Are you okay?”

Cassandra stiffened, “I-” she gulped, “I’m actually  really tired.” She nudged Rapunzel away with her shoulder, “Very,  very tired. So, uh,” She jumped to her feet, “I’m gonna go sleep now.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Rapunzel cocked her head. “You seem a little,” she searched for the right word, “ erratic .”

“Me? Erratic?” Cassandra brushed it off, “ Just tired.” She turned away and clenched her fist. “Night, Rapunzel.” 

Rapunzel wondered if she did something wrong, her heart sinking.  Even though Cassandra said she was fine, she didn’t believe it for a second, starting to blame herself for whatever it was . Her face fell, and her voice became small. 

“Okay," she sighed, "night Cassandra." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy halloween!! 
> 
> i've been super busy this week meaning i've had little time for editing/writing/generally crafting this fic hence the shortness of this chapter. i would've held it back further but i thought judging by the theme of the fic i may as well release a new chapter on halloween.
> 
> also, wow i'm so glad vampire!cass is becoming such a trend! there's so much gorgeous fanart going around and i hope the fan content just keeps on coming. it's what she deserves!
> 
> anyway, for those who celebrate i hope you have a wonderful halloween! and for those who don't, i hope you have a wonderful weekend! take care <3


End file.
